Axios

President Biden and former President Trump on Thursday issued starkly different Fourth of July messages to mark the nation's Independence Day.

Why it matters: The holiday comes after days of tumult in the 2024 presidential race, as the aftereffects of Biden's disastrous debate performance continue to reverberate.

Americans set off 275 million pounds of fireworks every year, according to data from the American Pyrotechnics Association.

• The vast majority — 250 million pounds — are consumer fireworks.
• "Display fireworks" — the type used in big municipal shows — clock in at 25 million pounds.

🎇 Context: Fireworks sales exploded at the height of the pandemic, when some cities canceled or scaled back their displays and locked-down Americans craved outdoor fun.

Electric grills are one of the hottest gadgets of the summer. But the jury's still out on whether they're worth the high price, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson writes.

• 🍔 They're billed as environmentally friendly, which matters as cities and states ban gas appliances because of their health and climate impacts.
• 🌭 They're marketed to people who live in apartments or have terraces where open-flame outdoor cooking isn't allowed — and to young adults who are new to grilling and nervous about fire or propane tanks.

👎 Reality check: Some reviewers have been disappointed.

• "This smart electric grill can't replace your barbecue," declared Lifehacker's Amanda Blum.

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An Independence Day parade passes the White House today.

Prepping for the Fishtown Horribles Parade in Gloucester, Mass.

The share of U.S. adults who say they're extremely or very proud to be an American remains among the lowest levels recorded since 2001.

Why it matters: As fireworks rocket toward the heavens this Fourth of July, the percentage of Americans who feel extreme pride in their nation hovers near its record low in a year marked by international conflict, legal woes at the highest levels of government and an unprecedented presidential election.

President Biden in a call on Thursday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "it is time to close" a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza.

Why it matters: Biden has pushed for a deal for months. White House officials said they want to take advantage of Hamas' positive response to the latest proposal in order to close the remaining gaps and reach an agreement.

Vice President Kamala Harris has become subject to increasing Republican political attacks and mentions on social media as speculation mounts that she could replace President Biden on the Democratic ticket this fall.

Why it matters: The uptick in swipes at the vice president indicate that Republicans believe Biden may not remain in the 2024 presidential race and that Harris is in the best position to assume the Democrat nomination should Biden bow out.

As Capitol Hill is engulfed in panic and frenzied speculation about President Biden's candidacy, top House Democrats are trying to focus on a topic far more unifying for the party: The Supreme Court.

Why it matters: House Democrats hope that an intense focus on controversial recent Supreme Court rulings will help pull their party out of its political tailspin and make the case, at least, for Democratic majorities in Congress.

If President Biden steps aside, Vice President Harris would be almost impossible to beat for the nomination, thanks to endorsements, money, optics and 2028 politics, top officials tell Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei for a Behind the Curtain column.

• Why it matters: All Harris needs is Biden's backing. If she gets it, the Obamas and Clintons likely would follow, making any challenge an affront to the sitting president and two former presidents.

🖼️ The big picture: If she gets Biden's endorsement, the only way a top-tier Democrat could challenge her would be to risk their future by saying "not your turn" to the first woman vice president, first Black American vice president and first South Asian vice president.

Let's say President Biden didn't endorse, or Democratic leaders insisted on a process, Jim and Mike write.

• At the highest levels of the party, there's talk of a series of, say, five regional debates before the convention. The candidates would debate live before the Democratic delegates, gathered in cities throughout the country (e.g., New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and L.A.).

It'd all be televised. Then when the convention opened in Chicago on Aug. 19, delegates would have seen the field in action. There are a few problems with this, including determining who gets to debate. And you'd be trying to do something really complicated, in basically no time. "We can't organize a two-car parade at the moment," said one veteran of presidential campaigns who's knee-deep in possible Plan Bs.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is launching a new agenda today, telling politicians that economic growth should be the top issue in the 2024 election and beyond, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Neil Irwin report.

• Why it matters: The influential business group is telling elected officials to prioritize economic policies that could return U.S. economic growth to the 3%+ rates that prevailed in the second half of the 20th century — not the sub-2% growth economists project for the decades ahead.

🔭 The big picture: From the 1950s through 2010, demographic tailwinds supported rapid growth, as Baby Boomers entered the primes of their careers and more women joined the workforce.

The White House last night.

Now you can savor a summer cookout from your microwave instead of an open flame, with Cup Noodles Campfire S'mores, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.

• Why it matters: Companies are aiming to create viral products that sell out and land on the resale market. S'mores ramen is already selling on eBay at marked-up prices.

This is Nissin Foods' first dessert ramen option, available exclusively at Walmart (online for $1.18).

If President Biden steps aside, Vice President Harris would be almost impossible to beat for the nomination, thanks to endorsements, money, optics  and 2028 politics, top officials tell us. 

Why it matters: All Harris needs is Biden's backing. If she gets it, the Obamas and Clintons likely would follow, making any challenge an affront to the sitting president and two former presidents. 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is launching a new agenda on Thursday, telling politicians that economic growth should be the top issue in the 2024 election and beyond.

Why it matters: The influential business group is telling elected officials to prioritize economic policies that could return U.S. economic growth to the 3%+ rates that prevailed in the second half of the 20th century—not the sub-2% growth economists project for the decades ahead.

President Biden delivered a clear message to a room full of Democratic governors at the White House Wednesday night: He is not dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

Why it matters: The meeting marked Biden's strongest show of defiance yet against growing calls within the Democratic Party for him to step aside in the wake of his debate disaster last week.

President Biden won the public support of several Democratic governors who attended a meeting with him at the White House on Wednesday following his poorly received debate performance last week.

The big picture: With Biden facing growing pressure from some Democrats to abandon his re-election bid, the president held a meeting with all Democratic governors who attended either virtually or in person, including California's Gavin Newsom, New York's Kathy Hochul and Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer.

President Biden's interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos will now air as a primetime special on Friday.

Why it matters: The shift from the previously announced Sunday morning time slot reflects the urgency of the situation as Biden faces growing pressure from some Democrats to abandon his re-election bid in the wake of his lackluster debate performance.

🥊 President Biden faces a growing revolt among frustrated congressional Democrats who say he should abandon his re-election bid — but he spent today signaling he was digging in for a fight.

• "I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out," Biden told his campaign staffers on a call in which he was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.
• 📞 The call — along with a similar one Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held for those at the White House — was aimed at boosting morale among Biden staffers, who were frustrated and angered by top Biden aides' slow, dismissive response to concerns about his debate performance last week.

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are pleading for as much time as possible to decide whether Biden should lead their ticket, delegates and state party officials told Axios.

• 🤷‍♀️ The delegates are still in the dark about when they are required to hold their "virtual roll calls" to nominate their presidential candidate.
• 😳 Democrats — from lawmakers facing re-election to activists who make the party run — are still spooked by Biden's jarring debate performance last week. They want time and options in case Biden steps aside or is forced out by donors or lawmakers.

In May, the Democratic National Committee announced plans to nominate its ticket via virtual roll calls of delegates weeks before the party's convention in Chicago, which starts Aug. 19.

🎤 Biden has engaged in fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at this point in their terms, according to an analysis by presidential scholar Martha Kumar.

• He's sitting for a rare interview with ABC News on Friday amid growing concerns about his age and acuity — and accusations that his inner circle has taken pains to hide the president's true condition from public view.

President Biden has engaged in fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at this point in their terms, according to an analysis from presidential scholar Martha Joynt Kumar.

Why it matters: Biden, 81, is sitting down for a rare interview with ABC News on Friday amid growing concern about his age and acuity — and accusations that his inner circle has taken pains to hide the president's true condition from public view.

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are pleading for as much time as possible to decide whether President Biden should lead their ticket, delegates and state party officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The delegates are still in the dark about when they are required to hold their "virtual roll calls" to nominate their presidential candidate.

A top election forecaster predicts that Minnesota's and Michigan's presidential races will be even more competitive in the wake of President Biden's debate performance.

The big picture: The rating changes are the latest sign that questions about Biden's age and fitness for office could put more states in play this November if he remains the nominee.